9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doug Wilson effectively encourages believers to respect the Biblical role of the church, August 10, 2005
This review is from: Mother Kirk: Essays on Church Life (Paperback)
Like the first two readers who reviewed Mother Kirk, I give this book a 5 star rating. Unlike the anonymous reviewer who gave the book only a one star rating after reading just the first few chapters, I believe Mother Kirk provides solid theological arguments built with compelling logic on a foundation of Scripture. In fact, Doug Wilson stands apart from many mainstream evangelical authors because Mr. Wilson bases his arguments on the classic orthodox reasoning of the saints who authored the Westminster Confession and other time-tested creeds and catechisms. Mr. Wilson has drawn on the robust reasoning of great theological minds to address contemporary problems undermining the witness of the church. This book should greatly encourage any reader who knows Scripture, reflects on the book's arguments, and seeks to help Christ's church provide a faithful and loving witness in the modern world. (Would critics of Mother Kirk please recommend better books? Is there a book with a more rigorously reasoned summary of how the church can address its biggest challenges by applying time-tested ecclesiastic doctrines?)
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Reformational Manifesto, June 19, 2008
This review is from: Mother Kirk: Essays on Church Life (Paperback)
Douglas Wilson is becoming more and more well known by evangelicals world-wise as a man of deep faith and deep wisdom. His books on atheism in response to atheists Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins are highly praised.
This book is on the church, but it is much more than that. It is nothing less than a manifesto on "How to be Church for the World." He is not afraid to speak truth, even hard truth. As he says in the book, "when Christians call for smooth words, easy words, the result is hard people. When we submit to hard words, we become the tender-hearted of God ... Marriages dissolve, heresies proliferate, parents abandon children, churches split, children heap contempt on their parents ... bitterness, rancor, envy, and malice abound - and all because the people will not abide that loathsome jackhammer, 'Thou shalt not.'" (p. 77).
The book is full of practical advice on things to do with your ministry - for instance, how to start a literature ministry. Wilson's approach to church has led a tenth of people in his town to worship with his church. They got so many people that they had to start another church just to fit everyone who wanted to "do church" they way they do. Our Lord says to judge men by their fruits, and the fruits of Wilson's covenant community in Idaho is certainly indicative of his approach - which is simply to teach and live out the whole covenant gospel, in family, church, and in community. And unlike many of the megachurches, Wilson's approach is not an unchallenging no-nevermind Christianity. The qualifications for being a pastor or elder or decon in the church are stiff, and Wilson lays them out brilliantly. The book also includes a "Questions for Elders and Their Wives" based on the biblical criteria. They're tough, but no more than God's standards for those leading the church.
He covers translation issues (and his analysis is so clear that it alone is nearly worth the price of the book), preaching, the sacraments, the sabbath, the liturgical principles (order of worship), worship music (this is the weakest section of the book), church structure and heirarchy, the character of the minister, and the life of the church, as well as taking a Scriptural approach to issues like abortion, women ministers, youth ministry, the church's place in politics (both local as well as national), marriage licenses, evangelism, and the place of apologetics.
I was surprised by the claims of some of the reviewers here. One claims that Wilson merely proof-texts, but a flip through the book shows that he comments and elucidates on a lot of passages, and cites many more, often including context as well. Some of this is unavoidable since the book is a manifesto covering the bird's eye of a large number of topics. Many references allow the reader to read up in interested areas. And speaking of references, one review also claims that Wilson merely cites himself. I'm not sure why this common practice is such a problem for that reviewer, but in any case a quick thumb through the notes reveals that Wilson only cites himself 9 times (twice for the same book, once simply acknowledging that a subsection appeared elsewhere, bringing the actual total down to 6 times.
Another reviewer noted that they were repulsed by some of the things Wilson said, especially by a quote on abortion. This quote as they give it in the review is thus, "[W]e must take up arms to defend God's covenant children (Neh 4:14). But we may not use violence until they come after authorities or to defend the lives of Molech worshipers and their children. This is far more secular than biblical."
This is not what the book says. This gives the impression that Wilson encourages violent revolution. Here is the actual quote: "[W]e must take up arms to defend God's covenant children (Neh 4:14). But we may not use violence until they come after our children. We ought not take up arms to overthrow the established authorities or to defend the lives of Molech worshipers and their children. This is far more secular than biblical." (245). The rest of the quoted material appears in the book, but only the hard words are quoted. Context makes it clear that "God does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23), and neither should we. But if they persist in loving death after hearing the truth over the course of decades, then ... let them kill themselves." (245).
Secondly, Wilson grounds his position in original sin, writing "whenever a descendant of Adam dies, he is receiving nothing less than he deserves. In Adam we all die. ... The administration of this death, however, is in the hands of the sovereign God alone . . . We bear the image of God, and whenever anyone is slain outside of the due process of law, the land is defiled in blood," (244). Perhaps we should listen to God rather than to hold Him to standards higher than He commands. Perhaps we should listen to what God says when He judges rebellious cultures and nations in history rather than complain that God's position is too unpleasant for covenant-breakers.
For a breath of fresh air, air that is unafraid to call sin what it is and that God judges it in history, air that says precisely what God says without flinching or embarrassment, pick up this book.
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